


Crossing

by slipsthrufingers



Category: Fables - Willingham
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-24
Updated: 2009-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-05 05:32:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/38301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slipsthrufingers/pseuds/slipsthrufingers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The voyage from Carpathia to New Amsterdam was a long one, and Bigby Wolf needs to learn just what it means to be part of a community.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crossing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [prodigy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/prodigy/gifts).



Bigby felt miserable. His bones creaked and ached, as they adjusted to their new form, sounding to his ears a little like the creaking timber of the boat beneath his feet. He squinted his new eyes against the blaring light of the horizon looking out across the ocean.

His ears pricked a little, as he heard lithe footsteps behind him.

"The captain informed me that dinner is to be served soon." The Princess said shortly, and he turned around to greet her. She looked every bit as composed as she had back in the forest, alabaster hands encased in soft leather gloves which were resting protectively in front of her belly. Her dark black hair was pinned against her neck in an elaborate twist, not a stray hair about her face, despite the refreshing breeze that bathed the ship.

"I thought it best to remind you before you head down, that you need to display a certain amount of..." She paused, as though trying to find the best word, "...decorum, around the mundane crew."

There was an acidic smell about her, that hinted she had not bathed properly in several days. He'd never bathed, in this new body of his. He stank like filthy human. He watched her with creased eyes, wondering how long she had spent primping in front of a mirror.

"In case it is not clear what that entails," Snow continued on, blue eyes stern, and ice cold. "I am happy to go over the basics with you once more."

"No growling. Use the fork and knife, what have you, and do not start fights."

"Yes. Exactly. I am pleased you remember. I do not want a repeat of last night's fiasco."

"I am not a child, Princess." He said, with a hint of a growl in his voice. He still needed time to get used to this body, with all its flaws and weaknesses.

"And I never said you were, Mr Wolf." She said primly. "However, the more civil you act, the less attention we attract, and it is pertinent that we maintain a degree of secrecy. The people of the Americas are quite a religious lot. In Europe they have been burning witches and heathens at the stake. They will catch on here soon, and just imagine what they will do to you, if they found out what you really are."

"I have escaped worse." He said gruffly.

"Yes, but now you are one of us, you cannot be as reckless as you once were. If you were to be caught out on this ship, it is not just you who would face consequences. Feathertop and I would also face the brunt of the crew, and the same will go for the wider community once we arrive on land. Do not put yourself in a situation where your behaviour could tar us with the same feather."

Bigby breathed in deeply, the various acrid smells of the ship and its crew, the ocean and its contents, and Snow in front of him, filling his nostrils in a dizzying olfactory display. He knew that he should not argue. He had made the decision to live as a man, and to do so he would need to make certain changes in order to fit in. He wanted to be seen as an equal within this new society, he wanted the respect of his peers. He wanted companionship. "Alright." He conceded. "I will be quiet, and I will do my best not to draw attention to myself."

"Thank you." Snow said, breathing a small sigh of relief. "I know the transition must be difficult for you, but it truly is for the best."

"Why did you come to fetch me? I was not risking your privacy there."

He sensed, perhaps, that he had asked the wrong question. The Princess had tensed a little, and perhaps if she were with another, they would not have noticed the hesitation, but his nose detected something different in her scent, becoming saltier. "You saved my life, and my sister's." She said simply. "And when our witches detected you alone in Carpathia... I... I do not like to be alone."

"I see." He said.

There was a soft silence, as the sun finally set beneath the horizon, and the ships crew began bustling about the deck to light the lanterns. "I must prepare for supper." Snow said suddenly, and she turned, the bustles of her dress swinging behind her. "I will send Feathertop to fetch you when it is time." Then she disappeared into the cabin below.


End file.
